"Beside" vs "besides" - what's the difference?
"Sit beside me." (next to me)"She stood beside the door.""The hotel is beside the lake.""Besides the main issue, there are several smaller ones." (in addition to)"I don't want to go. Besides, it's raining." (moreover, anyway)"Who else was there besides Tom?" (in addition to)"Beside the point": A ...
- "Sit beside me." (next to me)
- "She stood beside the door."
- "The hotel is beside the lake."
- "Besides the main issue, there are several smaller ones." (in addition to)
- "I don't want to go. Besides, it's raining." (moreover, anyway)
- "Who else was there besides Tom?" (in addition to)
"Beside the point"
A fixed expression meaning irrelevant. "That's beside the point" = that's not what we're discussing. Notice: "beside" here, not "besides."
Quick test
Can you replace it with "next to"? β beside. Can you replace it with "in addition to" or "anyway"? β besides.
Common error
Using "beside" when you mean "besides." "Beside, it's cheaper" β β "Besides, it's cheaper" β.
What's the difference between "Beside" and "besides"?
"Sit beside me." (next to me)"She stood beside the door.""The hotel is beside the lake.""Besides the main issue, there are several smaller ones." (in addition to)"I don't want to go. Besides, it's raining." (moreover, anyway)"Who else was there besides Tom?" (in addition to)"Beside the point": A ...
Mixing up similar words is one of the most common learner mistakes.
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